A lot of weird things happened during the weekend series with the Toronto Blue Jays. There was the win on Friday that came after new closer Jorge Lopez blew a save (after the Twins had already almost already given up a 5-0 lead) that was ultimately won when Tim Beckham hit into a fielders choice, scoring Nick Gordon, but only after Jake Cave reached on a strikeout. There was Rocco Baldelli running out the same cast of pitching characters the next day for a little load testing. There was whatever the hell last night's ending was. Among the strangest things of all, though, was that I might be falling in love with new catcher Sandy Leon.
I give Minnesota fans a hard time about our attachment to first impressions, but I am just as prone to love at first sight as anyone else. And I mean, if we all loved Willians Astudillo, what's not to love about this total package?
Before the Friday game against the Blue Jays, I told my friend to watch out for Toronto catcher Alejandro Kirk, who was my favorite shaped player. Kirk is short and round. An everyman among ball players. Kirk pinch hit late in the game and stood next to Leon, who was catching, and it really brought things into perspective. Leon is an absolute unit. 5'10. 235 pounds, with 215 of those pounds (estimated) in his haunches.
Aside from the skin deep attraction, Leon's also made a pretty decent first impression at the plate. Improbably, he came to the Twins with an OBP of .381, and it has only gone up since he arrived in town. Granted, it's only been three games, but Leon is only in town to keep Ryan Jeffers' roster spot warm. 3 games may ultimately be a good chunk of his time in the uniform.
He's been one of the studs in the games he has played. They are 3-0 when Leon starts, and he had a clutch double last Thursday, and reached base at important junctures on Saturday. He's been a good receiver throughout his career, and he hasn't disappointed yet with the Twins either.
What's not to love?
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